1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to controlling the behavior of stolen electronic devices according to the location in which they are located.
2. Description of the Related Art
The theft of electronic devices such as personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, mobile phones and personal entertainment devices is prevalent and there is an ongoing need to recover such property. Further, proprietary or sensitive data is often stored in such devices, so the need to recover such devices as rapidly as possible is self-evident. Existing tracking methods include monitoring the IP address of a computer that is connected to the internet, monitoring a GPS location of a computer or tracking device, keystroke logging and monitoring images captured from a computer's camera. It is important that the techniques used are within the law and minimize the risk of legal actions taken against an investigator.
Often, an item stolen in one country is taken to another country in order to reduce the likelihood of it being retrieved, and possibly so that it can be sold more easily. There are significant differences between civil law countries and common law countries regarding the sale of stolen property. In common law countries, the original owner tends to be favored because the thief cannot pass on good title to anyone. In civil law countries, a bona fide purchaser (i.e. a buyer who believes that the seller and goods are legitimate) tends to be favored, particularly following a period of limitations during which an original owner can make a claim. A problem can occur if an automatic surveillance device is unaware of its location and inadvertently starts monitoring and/or recording private information of someone who is considered a bona fide purchaser. This problem may arise if, for example, a stolen item with a tracking or monitoring device is taken across a border from a common law country to a civil law country, or if a statutory period of limitations expires within a civil law country. Laws may also vary between states or different regions of the same country.
There are, of course, exceptions to the general rules relating to the sale of stolen property in both common law and civil law countries, and there can be complicated qualifications to the rules. For example, the period of limitations for claiming back stolen goods may start running from the moment of the theft in one country, from the moment the owner became aware of the theft in another country, or from the moment the location of the goods becomes known. Moving the goods from one country to another to clear the title, and then back to the original country may cause further complications.
Another example that complicates the issue of using surveillance to help recover stolen goods is the extent to which an invasion of privacy can be justified by a competing interest. Different countries can have different standards as to what is considered a competing interest, and how far privacy can be compromised in the retrieval of stolen goods.
By way of example of background art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,790 discloses a system and method for displaying a webpage which is dependent on the location of the requesting computer.
PCT Application WO 00/022495 describes a method and apparatus in which a download of a digital product is supplied according to the territory of the request.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,446 describes a method for a computer such that its operation depends on its location as determined by a worldwide positioning system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,147 describes a laptop that requires a password to operate it if it is taken outside a predetermined boundary.